INGELHEIM, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With the enrollment of the first patient, Boehringer Ingelheim is pleased to announce on international Rare Disease Day, the initiation of a Phase III study (POLO-AML-2) investigating volasertib*, a selective and potent polo-like kinase (Plk) inhibitor, in combination with chemotherapy, in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) ineligible for intensive therapy. Acute leukaemias are rare diseases, with AML being the most deadly acute leukaemia in adults.1 Today marks the sixth international Rare Disease Day, and more than 60 countries around the world will join to raise awareness for those affected by rare diseases. In Europe, rare disease is defined as a life-threatening or chronically debilitating disease which affects fewer than five people per 10,000.2